Electric motor drive for well drilling equipment



Feb. 28, 1933. A LlNDNER 1,899,703

ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVE FOR WELL DRILLING EQUIPMENT Filed NOV. 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l f ELL- T \3 WITNESSES I INVENTOR j Vm Hrthur. Lmdner 2 BY $6, ATTORNEY Feb. 28, 1933. A. LINDNER 1,399,703

ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVE FOR WELL DRILLING EQUIPMENT FiledNov. 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Shut 2 WITNESSES: INVENTOR f a Arifur Lmdner ed, p

. of casing during the hoisting operation. As

Patented Feb. 28, 1 33 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE um: LDTDNEB, OF Bil-ALIEN NEAR SPANDAU, GERMANY, Si-G803 1'0 WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & murac'ruamc COMPANY, A CORPORATION 01' PENNSYL- VAIIA nnwrmc xoroa naive roa'wnu. DRILLING murrxm Application lied lotember 18, 1881, Serial No. 574,514, and in Germany November 18, mo.

This invention relates, generally, to control systems and more particularly to control systems for electrically operated well-drilliniequipment."

' s is general practice in well-drilling equipment for dee wells, the electric motor that operates the rill-table, for the purpose of economy and simplicity, is also used for many other operations, such, for example, as for pulling the drilling spindle and the string is apparent, each of these operations, since they perform different services demand different power requirements.

The drilling operation requires arelatively small amount of motor torque, with an adjustable wide speed range, for the purpose of providing the proper drilling speed in accordance with the varying degree of hardness of the layers of rock.

Furthermore, for the drilling operation, care must be taken to prevent the motor from developing its full torque, otherwise the individual spindle sections will be unscrewed or the spindle will be twisted ofl'.

Pulli of the drilling spindle, an operation per ormed by means of a hoist and a tackle, requires a relatively high motor torque, because this operation, which interrupts the actual drilling procedure, must be completed within the shortest possible time.

. The hoisting of the tubing or string of casing also impresses a heavy duty on the motor. It is an object of this invention to so alter the torque characteristics of a motor that the torque requirements for the drilling and hoisting operations, respectively, may be socured.

- It is also an object of this invention to rovide a control system whereby a three-p ase alternating-current may be automatically connected to a source of power in star-connection, when called upon to operate the drilling spindle and may be automatically connected to a source of power in delta-connection, when called upon to operate the hoisting equipment.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter become apparent from a study of the following detailed specification, taken; in con unction with the accompanying drawin ,in which:

igure 1 shows diagrammatically a systom-embodying the features of this invention, incombination with the drilling. equipment to be operated;

Fig. 2 shows diagr'ammaticall a mechanical interlock between the clutc mechanism and the star-delta contactor, and

Fig. 3 shows diagrammatically how the starelta contactor may be electromagnetically interlocked with the clutch mechanism.

To accomplish the objects above stated the motor is equip ed with special means w 'ich assures that t e proper motor connections are employed for the various operations. In other words for the drilling operation the primary windings ofithe motor can be erated only in star-connection, and for t e hoisting operation the said windin can be operated only in delta-connection. is can be accomplished by equipping the coupling or clutch members that are dis d between the hoist and drilling table wit an auxiliary switch, and by connecting the contacts of this switch, through an interlock on the stardelta contactor, to the tripping circuit of the main line contactor in such we. that the drillin table can be con led wit the hoist only w en the motor drlving the hoist operates in star-connection, whereas the main line'contactcr will be tripped and the motor disconnected from the line when the motor is delta-connected. As a consequence, it is impossible to have the delta-connected motor drive the drilling table.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a drilling equipment embodying the drilling table 109 and a hoist drum 113 together with the necessary mechanical connections are shown associated with a slipring induction motor having primary windings 39 and secondary windings 40 connected to a suitable resistor 41, the value of which may be controlled, for speed control urposes, by the controller 7 As illustrate the motor is coupled to a shaft 100, and through a cooperative pair of bevel gears 101 and a shaft 102, is disposed to operate either the too ' member 103 which is sp 'ned to the shaft 102.

ill

The clutch member 103 may be operated by the lever 10% pivoted at 105. en the tch member 103 is moved to the left, the jaws thereof engage the clutch jaws of the sprocket wheel 106, which is loosely mounted on the shaft 102. The drill table 109 may, therefore, be driven by the sprocket wheel 10% through the chain 10? and the sprocket wheel 108, end the bevel or associated with the drill teble. -When it IS desired to open-em the test drum, the clutch member 103 is moved to the right, thereby operctiveiy contacting the sprochet wheel lid, which is loosely mounted on the shaft 162, with the driving ,motor, whereupon the hoist drum ll? iney be driven through the chain ill end sprochetwheel H2.

To limit the torque of the motor when the drill table is operated, the clutch lever 10d is provided with e rod 14 for controlling circult connections discussed more in detail hereinafter.

Assing that the attendant wishes to opcrate the drill table 109, the clutch lever 104i is moved to the right, thereby clutching the s rocket wheel 106 to the clutch member 103. the motor is, therefore, connected to drive the drill table 109. To stert the motor with the primery windings 39 star-connected, the manually operable switch 3.15 is moved upweirdly to close the contact members 38, 31, 32 end 33, the switch 17.5 bein held in the upper position hy e latch mom or 114.

' "the menuelly op'ernble controller 7 is also moved to bridge the contact fingers 42, t3,

by means of the bridging member t5. These operations establish e circuit from the energized conductors l, 2 end 3, leading to a suitable source of three-phase clterneting current (not shown) through conductor 4, contact fingers 5, bridged by the Eil Cid

controller segment 6 of the controller 7, conductor 8, ectueting coil 9 of the mein line contnctorill, conductor 35, contact members 36 of the overlond contector 22, conductor 37, content memhers 38 of the star-delta; switch 115, conductor 15, stopping switch 113, and conductor l'l-to the energized conductor 2. lit will be noted that the energizsition of the actuating coil'9 of the main line contector lilcenn'ot take piece in any other position of the controller 7 but the first position, that is, when contact fingers 5 ere bridged by the 'controllerseent. 6.

Operation of the mainline contractor l estehlishes a holding circuit for the actuating coil 3 through the contact members 18, which, at this stage, shunts the contact members end the circuits associated therewith. Operetion of the main e contactor 10 also estehlishes a th phase circuit for the prime windings 39 of the motor, One phase of the circuit may be traced from energized conduc= tor 1 through contact members 18, of the contsctor 10, ectuatin coil 21 of the overload contactor 22, actuating coil 23 of the overload contactor 24, conductor 25, a. portion of the rimery windings 39, conductor 28, contact gers 31 of the star-delta switch '115 to the junction 34; at second phase of this circuit may be traced from the energized conductor 2, contact fingers 19 of the c'ontactor 10, conductor 26, a portion of the primary windings 32, conductor end the contact fingers 33 of the star-delta switch 115 to the junction 34; and 2-. third hose or? this circuit may he traced from t e energized conductor 3 through contact fingers 20% the centre-tor 10, conductor 2?, 9. portion of the primery windings 39, conductor 23 end contect more hers 32 of the star-delta switch 115 to the junction 34.

It will be noted that the neutral or the corresponding junctions of the rimary wind= .ings 39 are all connected to the unction point 34:, thus connecting the primary windings to the source of alternating current in star-circuit relation. The secondary windings of the motor that are connected to the resistor 41 may have their electrical characteristics chon by the controller 7, thereby providing a speed control for the motor, end, in

consequence, for the drill table 109 over a considerable range.

Since the clutch member 103 is brought into cooperative relation with the clutch jaws on the sprocket wheel 106, the contact fingers 46 are bridged b the segment 13 connected to the rod M. l for any reason, the load on the motor increases above e predetermined amount, the overloed contector 24 will close its contact members 49, thereby establishing c. circuit from the energized conductor 1 through conductor-50, contact members 49, signal light 48, conductor 47, contact fingers t6, bridged by the segment 13 end conductor 17 to the energized conductor 2. Should the attendant fail to heed the signal 4.8 within due time, this overload condition causes the overloed contector 22 to operate for interrnpting the circuit that energizes the ectueting coil 3 of the main line coxitector 10st the contact fin ers 33. Accordingly, the equipment will he brought to rest without ceusmg any damage to the drilling spindle.

if it is desired to hoist the drum spindle or Q to hoist the casing, the clutch member 103 is operated to engage the sprocket wheel and the star-deltas switch is moved to the lower position, whereby the contact membersridged by the controller segment 6, thereby aaoanos establishin an ener ing circuit for the actuatin coi 9, whic circuit may be traced from are energized conductor 8 through actuatin coil 9, conductor 11, contact ngers 5 12, bri ged by the segment 13 that is mounted on the rod 14, conductor 15, stop switch 16 and conductor 17 to the energized conductor 2. Operation of the main line contactor 10 causes the energization of the rimary wind- 10 ings 39, and hence the win ings are connected in delta. or closed circuit position by the contact fingers 71, 73 and 75. The conductor 1 is connected through conductors 25 and and contact members 71- to a pair of terminals of two phases of the rimary windings; conductor 2 is connected through conductors 26 and 72 and contact members 73, conductor 28 to a second pair of terminals of two phases of the primary windings 39, and conductor 3 is connected through conductors 27 and 74, contact members and conductor 30 is connected to a third pair of terminals of two phases of the primary windings 39. The primary windin of the motor are, therefore, connected in de ta circuit relation, and the torque characteristics of the motor are materially changed, that is, the torque at the motor shaft 18 very materiall increased.

mechanically coupled to the hoist drum 113, the primary windings 39 may be connected in star-circuit relation, the opposite however,-

is not true. That is to say, when the motor is mechanically coupled to the drill table, the delta-circuit connection cannot be established, since the contact members 38 of the star-delta switch 115 are essential to effect the operation of the main line contactor 10.

When it is desired to connect successive sections of the casing, a considerable torque is necessary at the drilling table. To make it possible to connect the motor in delta-circuit relation and yet have the motor shaft coupled to the drill table, a switch 52 is provided in the circuit with the contact strips 53. When the switch 52 is closed, the actuating coil 9 may be energized, even though the contact fin ers 12 are not bridged by the segment 13. is circuit may be traced from ating coil 9 of the contactor 10, conductor 11, lower contact finger 12, conductor 51, switch 52, contact strips 53, bridged by the controller segment 52;! and conductors 54 and 17 to the energized conductor 2.

From the modification shown in Fig. 1 and the description thereof, 'it is apparent that the matter of the circuit connection for the primary winding is dependent upon the manual operation of the star-delta switch 115. It is, of course, obvious that the star-delta switch 115 may be manually interconected with a clutch lever 104, thereby making it 06 impossible to operate the star-delta switch,

It will be noted that when t e motor isthe energized conductor 8 through'the actu-- except when the clutch member 103 is in the proper position.

In this connection, attention is called to the modification shown in Fig. 2 where the rod 14 is shown associated with the bell crank lever 60 pivoted at its support. The bell crank lever 60 operates a rod 61 which actuates the contact members of the star-delta switch. Obviously if the lever 104 is moved to the left, mechanically coupling the motor to the hoist drum, then none other but the delta-connection can be made for the primary windings of the. motor, whereas if the lever 104 is moved to the right, thereby engaging the clutch member 103 with the sprocket wheel 106, only the star-connection can be made for the primary windings of the motor. Q

While the modification shown in Fi 2 may have advantages over the other modifications shown in some installations, yet in .others where the star-delta contactor must of necessity be located remotely from the clutch member 103 an electromagnetic interlocking system may be utilized, such as shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3, the star-delta switch is shown balanced to a given open circuit position by the springs 79 and 82. If the clutch lever.104 is moved to the right, thereby couling the motor to the drill table, the contact lis ed from the energized conductor 1 throu h the contact finger 76, conductor 81 and the'actuating coil of the star-delta switch to the energized conductor 2. The star-delta switch is thereby moved to a lower position, and the primary windings of the nlgers 76 are bridged and a circuit is estabmotor are connected in delta-circuit relation.

If the lever 104 is moved to the left, thereby mechanically coupling the motor to the hoist drum, a circuit is established from the energized conductor 1 through contact fingers 77 and actuating coil 78 of the star-delta switch to the energized conductor 2.

From the foregoing discussion of the modifications shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it is obvious,

that the wrong connection cannot be established when the clutch member is not in the proper position, and such connection is automatically assured by the mechanical interlook (see Fig. 2) and the electromagnetic interlock (see Fig. 3).

Although I have shown certain preferred embodiments of my invention, it is, of course, understood that the modifications shown and described are merely illustrative, and do not represent the only means for accomplishing the novel results inherent in this invention.

It is, of course, apparent that other modifications may be devised to accomplish the novel results, and I, therefore, wish that this invention be limited only by the appended claims and the prior art. I I claim as my invention: 1. An electric motor drive for well-drill- 

